During the Twentieth Century divers constituted the largest number of victims for any of the four victim groups: divers, surfers, swimmers, and kayakers. There were 108 authenticated unprovoked shark attacks reported from the Pacific Coast of North America, with 50 (46%) directed at divers. The White Shark was determined to be the species responsible in 45 (90%) of the 50 recorded attacks on divers.
Over a 15 day period in 1984, four shark attacks — one of them fatal — occurred off the Pacific Coast of the United States. The drama would begin on Saturday, 15 September 1984, with the death of 28-year-old abalone free diver Omar Conger.
More @ Shark Research Committee
Since when do sharks need to be "provoked" to want to eat things in the ocean?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't apply to Great Whites since no one would attempt to spear them, but would apply to others of certain sizes. Moray Eels are the worst, as they will come for you if you don't hit them in the head.
DeleteThere is an uncanny feeling, when jumping off a barge into the open ocean, that you are nothing more than a mere morsel for the leviathans of the deep. You are no longer at the top of the food chain.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly humbling.
String your fish a good ways behind you or take each one to your inter-tube on top.
DeleteWhen I was diving, and still new at it, I had a 4 foot Blue Shark snatch a goodie bag off my belt. After that it was floats and a long line. Plastic garbage bags had not arrived on the scene yet or I would have lined the float gunny sack with those too.
ReplyDeleteHbbill
Somewhere behind enemy lines,
Peoples Republik of Kommiefornia
Thanks and where did you dive?
DeleteThis particular incident occurred off of Catalina. I have dived the coast from Santa Barbara to Pacific Beach Point in San Diego county....where I got bit by a moray while diving for abalone. That REALLY sucked!!! Good thing it was a little one.
DeleteDid most of my spearfishing and abalone while free diving....more of a challenge. SCUBA was for anything below 60 feet or sightseeing. Got down to 120 once just for shits and giggles off Catalina. Not much life down that deep.
I also have surfed the coast from 4 Mile Point just north of Santa Cruz to Ensenada, Meheeco. All the name spots and quite a few secret spots.
Also surfed the North Shores of Oahu and Kauai when I was younger (20) and didn't know any better. Again, all the name spots and a few only the locals knew. Came close to gettin' killed at Pipeline, Sunset (hit HARD by loose boards pre-leash era, once with a fin across the bridge of my nose,came close to loosing an eye) and Makaha (one pounding away from drowning). Been bounced off the reefs a few times too.
Nearly bled to death when a board smashed my elbow at Malibu. Went into shock from blood loss.
Hbbill
Somewhere behind enemy lines,
Peoples Republik of Kommiefornia
Getting old is mandatory....growing up is not.
I got bit by a moray while diving for abalone. That REALLY sucked! Good thing it was a little one.
ReplyDeleteHa!:) See the link below that I started on diving adventures, but haven't gotten far. Never got into surfing myself.
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I took the first Spirit of Adventure cruise and we went overnight to San Clemente Island. It had all the bells and whistles.My buddy came up with a bent spear after he tried to shoot a Black Sea Bass. :) The boat later sunk off Hawaii, but was recovered.
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Ensenada
Used to camp down the road from there at Punta Banda and dove at La Bufadora. Once I speared a huge Halibut free diving, it then pulled me under three times until it finally tore the spear out. Too bad as he must have certainly been killed shortly by sharks.
Been to the Bufadora but never dove there. Lots of surge. Must have been exciting!
ReplyDeleteDidn't find a link???????
Hbbill
Somewhere behind enemy lines,
Peoples Republik of Kommiefornia
Oh, no and I thought I would get through life without ever making a mistake.......:)
Deletehttp://www.namsouth.com/viewtopic.php?t=5165&highlight=diving
I remember this post. In fact I left a comment there. Nice abalone!
DeleteI was diving off Laguna Beach once with a buddy and we saw this HUGE ab against a rock and half buried in the sand. It looked to be at least afoot across and our eyes must have been as big as saucers. We surfaced and worked a strategy to get it. We realized we would have to clear away some of the sand to be able to pry it off the rock before it clamped down hard.
Took several dives to clear enough of the sand but at last we were ready and on signal inserted our pry bars and yanked......and the ab broke in half! Something must have gotten it from the inside or it died naturally and just rotted away. The one that got away....big disappointment.
Sheepshead....GREAT tasting fish and one of my favorites. I have seen boat divers who foolishly thought of it as a trash fish and I gladly took all of them they wanted to get rid of.
Hbbill
Somewhere behind enemy lines,
Peoples Republik of Kommiefornia
the ab broke in half!
DeleteWhat a shame, a black?
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I love Sheephead and I'm sure you know that your spear will sometimes glance off if you hit them in the head. I should have shot that Halibut in the head.
I think it was a pink. This was close to 40 years ago and I have a bit of CRS syndrome.
DeleteHbbill
Somewhere behind enemy lines,
Peoples Republik of Kommiefornia
:)
DeleteUnfortunately, I can't go anymore since a have a hole in my neck. :) Used to lap swim a mile everyday also and loved it, but no more. I am now regulated to a half hour walk on the beach. Just remembered, I believe it was in the late 70's when a diver had the same operation, but designed a special contraption so he could continue to do so. It was in Skin Diver magazine. They do have a special snorkel set up that allows you to breast stroke only and I believe it's about $500.
Too bad about your condition. Try to stay as active as possible.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine just had his 75th birthday. The card I sent him had a old guy on the cover jogging and complaining, "Ouch....my feet, ouch....my knee, ouch....my back. On the inside it said, "Remember when life was just a pain in the ass?"
That about sums it up. Gettin' old ain't fer sissies.
Hbbill
Somewhere behind enemy lines,
Peoples Republik of Kommiefornia
your condition.
DeleteCan you believe that some refuse the operation? More than once the VA has asked me to talk to them.